The Falcons say they don’t practice censorship – really!
I’ve gotten several complaints from readers who claimed their critical posts were deleted from the message boards at AtlantaFalcons.com and they were then blocked from reading the boards. Here, from an AJC.com poster who goes by the screen name of Falcons Censor Critics/Crybabies!, is this:
“You know, Mark and Atlanta, I criticized Coach [Mike] Smith and the coaching staff as well as the entire team for the abysmal performance against the Patriots on their message board. It seems the FALCONS BRASS and ARTHUR BLANK don’t like criticism. I was banned from their site and not even allowed to read their message board as a result….NO CURSING just telling the brutal truth. If you are not a cheerleader , even in a terrible loss, they whine about the criticism.
“HEY, COACH SMITH AND ARTHUR BLANK, GROW UP!! If you can’t take criticism you’re in the wrong business. Watch out, Mark Bradley, King Arthur can’t stand criticism.”
In the interest of clarification, I called Reggie Roberts, the Falcons’ vice president of communications, and asked if the Falcons had gotten heavy-handed in the wake of their loss to New England. He checked and called back a half-hour later, saying this:
“We monitor and moderate our boards for language and content, and people have to accept certain conditions before they can post on our boards saying they won’t indulge in profanity or name-calling or baiting. We’re not in the business of banning criticism unless someone runs afoul of the rules to which he has already agreed.
“We had some instances this week of people impersonating other people and making personal attacks on other posters. But if someone wants to say [offensive coordinator] Mike Mularkey isn’t very good or to criticize [running back] Michael Turner, we won’t have a problem with that.”
I know Reggie’s words won’t satisfy some among you, but I should also say that we at AJC.com monitor and moderate our boards for language and content, and we do ban repeat offenders. I should also note that our policy for what’s acceptable might be considered more liberal than other message boards’.
But I should also note a rather basic human trait: Nobody likes to be criticized. Especially after a loss in the rain.
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279 comments Add your comment
Allbucdup
October 3rd, 2009
9:12 pm
Would those of you arguing that “some people” are taking the internet too seriously consider the involvement of the Federal Bureau of Investigations in a “message board war” taking things too seriously?
Would you consider a visit or phone calls from FBI agents\individuals posing as FBI agents taking things too seriously?
Would you consider veiled threats from FBI agents\individuals posing as FBI agents enlisted by representatives of the Atlanta Falcons Message Board taking things too seriously? They literally had FBI agents get involved with trying to keep our little rebellion down under the pretense that our members’ actions were negatively affecting Arthur Blank’s assets.During a time when our country was at war, federal resources (FBI agents) were used to scare members of another board ( http://www.thelastkidspicked.com/Forums/index.php?) because some members, at the time, had posted profane pictures on the omb and because other members began the argument that all of you are having now.
At the time, every member of the AFMB that was a member at The LKP was banned, whether they had openly criticized the Admins or not. Long time members that had never violated the AFMB COC were axed, just for applying for and gaining membership at The LKP.
I won’t disagree with the posters here arguing that it is in fact a privately owned message board and they can do as they please with it but, in the same line of thought, you can’t defend their right to abuse the privileges of rule abiding members, unless you have no sense of right and wrong. Yes, the Admins (minimods) are only human, but at some point management has to take notice of having a couple of the wrong humans in the wrong places (you listening Shiney and Personal Trainer Sac). Members should also note that the very things that happened to some of the members of The LKP, reDU, fff, Falcons Roost, etc. can also happen to you.
ABSOLUTE FACT…and for you people that are going to claim I’m lying, go repeat what I posted on the AFMB and count the seconds until the thread is deleted along with your account.
ABSOLUTE FACT.
Johnnywad
October 3rd, 2009
10:11 pm
ABU dropping some truth bombs in here!!!!
A horse who was molested
October 3rd, 2009
10:29 pm
good lawd!! Iowahorse is soooo full of spit! He used to be all up under the mods, saying what he wanted to, attacking other posters, talking TO mods like Sac as they joked about other posters sexuality. Now he is boo hooing about the mods? I guess it sucks when you aint protected by them huh? waawaaa waaa. biggest POS on the net, and maybe in the world.
Cry a river you wuss.
SHOULD HAVE DRAFTED FLACCO
October 4th, 2009
1:28 pm
I hope Matty Ice is taking notes because the “TRUE ROY” is showing what a real qb can do against the Patriots.
Like I have said all along…………….
DRAFTED THE WRONG GUY
maybe so
October 4th, 2009
2:27 pm
You might be on to something Flacco boy. However, absent the defense the Ravens have…it’s hard to make the comparison. Falcons defense is no Ravens defense. Time will tell….but it’s clear Flacco is a good quarterback.
Bond....Melvin bond
October 4th, 2009
2:45 pm
is this the new AFMB? Make it so Bradley!!!!
James
October 4th, 2009
5:00 pm
Since its a bye week for the Falcs, now is a good time to gripe about the Fake-triots!! If you look at all home games for the Patriots, watch closely… You’ll never see the need for the chains to be brought out on plays where the Patriots are close to getting the 1st down. Why? because the refs almost ALWAYS spot the ball “generously” for the Patriots. Think I’m exaggerating? From now on, watch- and watch closely, where the ball handler’s forward progress stops and where the refs actually put the ball!!! It doesn’t happen every time, but certainly enough to affect the outcome of the games. No one seems to be paying attention to how many times the refs have given the Patriots free 1st downs when the receiver or runner was really feet away from the 1st down (enough to at least bring out the chains). Conversely, watch how conservative those same refs are when the opposing team’s players appear to be close to a 1st down. Its NEVER an automatic for the opponents. Actually, quite often, they short-change the opposing team in terms of spotting exactly where forward progress ended. The refs are not playing fair in New England!!!
adl
October 4th, 2009
6:38 pm
@ Allbucdup
Good point! I remember some folks who got vists from the FBI at their workplace that were only guilty of being a member of a site that allowed open criticism of the Atlanta Falcons message board moderators. Even after that I dont think the Atlanta Falcons organization apologized or even gave a ticket to the people they harassed in thier place of work.
Life Long Falcon Fan
October 5th, 2009
12:57 am
By the way, I am a little disappointed that we never got clarification about posting AFMB links to the AJC site. Seemed like a legitimate question to ask Mark.
Life Long Falcon Fan
October 5th, 2009
11:58 am
I take back everything I said in any of my previous comments. It’s pretty clear what happened here – you can piece it together from the comments. A group of posters didn’t like the fact they had to follow basic rules at the Falcons bulletin board (not swearing, not attacking others). So they got together and exploited the vulnerabilities of the AJC commenting by pretending to be moderators from the Falcons bulletin board, saying bad things about Mark Bradley and the AJC. They also impersonated other members of the Falcons board and wrote a bunch of anti-semetic and racist posts in an attempt to associate the hateful comments with those people at the Falcons bulletin board. Anyone with half a brain can see that these people have one goal: defame the Falcons organization because of their “unjust” treatment at their freaking bulletin board. As long as the AJC allows people to post comments without registration, anyone can say anything. So until that changes, I wouldn’t believe anything you read in these comments. You probably shouldn’t even believe me.
74 Dawg
October 5th, 2009
3:36 pm
Ted Stryker-what did you do to get banned from Walmart ? Just curious. Mark- would it be possible
to have a blog vote off , kind of like Survivor? We could nominate 5 0r 6 of the most redundant,useless,obnoxious bloggers,let everyone vote, and whoever wins, we get a 4 week vacation from their innanities. Of course your innanities would be exempt:)
Who cares
October 5th, 2009
7:50 pm
I was banned from the Falcons message board for no legit reason too. Unlike others , I don’t care.
It’s the FALCONS message board. Not exactly a winning organization. So, in short…I’ve been banned from a helluva lot better places than the lowly Falcons message board.
Me
October 5th, 2009
11:40 pm
Mark you’r an idiot……
Just checking to see if you would remove it. keep up the good work.
Me
October 5th, 2009
11:42 pm
I’ve been banned from several boards, and it all goes down to following the rules and kissing their butts. You must fall in line and make them and thier huge egoes feel superior.
Vick Supporter
October 6th, 2009
5:59 am
I’m back in the states baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OldFan
October 6th, 2009
10:09 am
I remember when they made the Falcon’s website. I was so happy that I could finally talk to other Falcon Fans on an OAFMB and I was proud that we actually had one. Then I got banned. I don’t know what I did. I don’t curse. I don’t attack peoples character. It was a 4 day ban but I have never went back.
Thanks Mark this is a problem that Arthur needs to be aware of and thank you for addressing it.
Tawny
October 6th, 2009
11:26 am
Vick Supporter may be in “the states,” but she still doesn’t know how to properly use grammar or punctuation.
Apparently, they don’t stress communication “skillz” as being critical there at Crisco Systems.
SHOULD HAVE DRAFTED FLACCO
October 6th, 2009
11:32 am
Enter your comments here
Same Ole Same Ole
October 6th, 2009
12:45 pm
@ Rectal bleeding/Life Long Falcon Fan imposter.
Not many businessmen would allow their representatives to engage their customers in political discussions. That alone makes it obvious the front office has very little knowledge of how their customers are treated by their volunteer fan moderators. The Falcons organization defames itself with ignorance of what happens in their name. Its a given that rule breakers have to be dealt with. The big picture is the free service offered by the organization is poorly managed and staffed with some people too incompetent to deal with the wide demographics that make up the clientele of Falcons.
darrell starks
October 6th, 2009
1:21 pm
WILL THE FALCONS EVERY HAVE A DOMINATING DEFENSE THAT WE REFUSED TO BUILD EVERY YEAR WE HAVE MADE POOR DRAFT PICKS THRU OUT THE YEARS ON DEFENSE.
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
October 6th, 2009
1:27 pm
TOP 10 PICKS WE HAVE DRAFT ON DEFENSE
1.DEION
2.TUGGLE
3.ITS ONLY 2 SINCE THE 80′S THAT IS SAD
GO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
October 6th, 2009
1:43 pm
O MY BAD I LEFT OUT CHUCK SMITH AND SCOTT CASE.
GO FALCONS!!!!!
Mark Are You Reading
October 6th, 2009
2:17 pm
MARK
Can you look into the blog ran by one of your colleagues or do you not care if they are biased. I read where you threatened to ban FALCONS SORRY because he made a comment about one of your colleagues.
So am I wasting my time bringing a comment to your attention?
Well here it is anyway:
“D3″ Dawson Dewitt bans bloggers who criticizes Matt Ryan. He has his little “club” of bloggers that he is loyal to and what do they all have in common?
They are Matt Ryan supporters. Do you think that is fair? Do you think that is unbiased blog hosting?
I doubt you will do anything about it, but at least I got it off of my chest.
falconidiot
October 6th, 2009
4:58 pm
Blank should welcome it, criticism gets results. Falcons have played three ugly games and don’t seem to have the inspiration they had last year. Please, find ways to remind them they can make history with a winning season, for God sake play with some passion. As a diehard fan this season means so much. It we can’t stay with the Saints our odds get slim, this game in SanFran could put us in or take us out as well as next week against the Bears, i guarantee Mike Singletary will have his team fired up.
glc3md
October 6th, 2009
8:20 pm
What nonsense. Don’t you people have something better to do?
Paranoid Falcon Fan
October 7th, 2009
11:39 am
It’s a conspiricy I tell ya!
Life Long Falcon Fan
October 12th, 2009
6:27 pm
Wow, what happened to my last several posts? I point out flagrant racism on the front page of the “Anything But Football” forum on the Atlanta Falcons Message Boards and my post gets deleted? Mark, what’s going on?
Life Long Falcon Fan
October 12th, 2009
6:35 pm
I also noticed that the posts discussing the antisemitism on the AFMB were taken down. What’s the deal?
Life Long Falcon Fan
October 12th, 2009
6:59 pm
Last thought for now:
The irony of the AJC censoring truthful, factually accurate information about how the Atlanta Falcons run their message boards on a blog post about how the Falcons say they don’t practice censorship.
Several of us noted serious problems with the management of the boards. We even provided links to support those claims. The AJC censored the links. Then the AJC censored the posts that noted the racism, homophobia, and antisemitism that is allowed by the Atlanta Falcons Message Board moderators/administrators.
Perhaps somebody should inquire about the AJC’s practice of censorship while they are reporting on censorship by the Atlanta Falcons. The irony is comical.